Regression
by Bono Tempest
Summary: Hermione Granger has been missing for 3yrs until lovers Lucius Malfoy & Severus Snape find her terrified and traumatized, regressed to the age of 5. Mostly docile and a long way from my usual dark fic's. Implies rape. You were warned!
1. a barely heard scream

**Hermione Granger has been missing for 3 years. Until Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape find her, traumatized and regressed to the age of 5.**

**Disclaimer for the whole narrative: I don't own the Harry Potter series**

**Okay, first post yada yada yada…some words spelt the American way Blah blah blah…I'm pretty sure you guys don't read this crap so I have no Idea why I'm sittin' here typin' it.**

Severus Snape strode down one of the many corridors at Hogwarts school of witch-craft and wizardry, his black robes billowing impressively behind him. The full moon shone through the windows as he walked towards his personal chambers, well….his and Lucius'. The potions professor turned sharply descending three flights of stairs going down into the dampness of the dungeons, before turning to stroll along the corridor. He smiled as a familiar head of blonde appeared, stepping out gracefully from the portrait that led to their rooms.

"hello love, fancy a stroll"

Lucius grinned shutting the portrait and falling into step as the intertwined their hands, it was times like these that the two men didn't have to fear judgment from prejudiced witches and wizards.

Severus laughed as his lover rattled on about how he was sorry he'd ever taken up the arithmancy position at Hogwarts. They stopped beneath one of the trees at the edge of the forest, drawn towards each other Lucius leaned forward kissing his lover passionately. That was when they heard the scream. It was so short and piercing that Severus swore that if they hadn't fallen into a comfortable silence right then, they never would've heard it. Immediately both men had their wands out and were running towards where they thought the sound had originated from, deeper inside the forbidden forest.

Lucius was the first to find the screams voice and he cried out in shock when he did; laying, limbs sticking out at awkward angles was a thin, bushy haired little girl. Her tiny body was covered in blood dirt and twigs, her T-shirt and shorts basically non-existent. Lucius was a blur as he risked falling to sprint down the embankment skidding to a halt next to the little body. Severus wasn't far behind him and as his partner checked her for vital signs and crippling injuries, he sent a silver patronus to McGonagall.

"How is she love?" Severus asked quietly kneeling beside Lucius. The medi-wizard-in-training taking on a composed air, reminiscent of his days as an aristocrat.

"it's not good Sev, she has numerous wounds and cuts, that've cost her a-lot of blood and…" Severus turned his head and reaching out, gently gripped his lovers chin, forcing the steel gray eyes to find his. "and what Luc?" the blonde man hesitated for a second then whispered in disbelief "Raped Sev, this little girl has been raped, over and over and over" The potions master tightened his jaw considerably and glanced down at the child, her delicate boned face bruised, eyes puffy from crying no doubt. Making a quick decision he gently eased his hand under her limp body and was shocked when her eyes snapped open, revealing brown eyes filled with terror. She screamed twisting and kicking out trying to get up, stunned they let her and watched dumbly as the little girl staggered, trying to sprint up the hill. Lucius was the first to regain his senses and dove, catching her weightless body as she fell. He could trace the bony line of her spine as he cradled the girl to his chest, looking down on her face a cut on her forehead had reopened and was weeping, blood and puss mixing to create a sickly image.

*****{}*****

"OH MY LORD" Madame Pomfrey cried when they strode into the hospital wing, she motioned to a bed as she hurried over. Lucius laid the little girl down, gently stoking the mud matted curls away from her flushed face. He looked up as Professor McGonagall crashed through the double-doors guarding the infirmary, startling all three adults. The aged Scottish headmistress rushed over in a green checked robe and matching sleeping cap, some of her gray hair hanging down in wisps.

"Severus, Lucius, Poppy what is going on"

"we found her when we were out for a walk Minerva, just lying there and when Sev went to pick her up, she woke screaming like the worlde was ending" Minerva glanced at the girl, her mouth in a straight line. Poppy came back and tutted like a worried mother hen as she cleaned the little girls wounds, gently washing away the blood and grime with potion filled water. After that she ushered the 3 professor out so she could check the rest of the girl's body.

3 hours later Severus and Lucius waited while Madame Pompfrey drew back the curtain revealing the little girl clean and asleep, dwarfed by the big bed and hospital Pajamas. Lucius pulled up a chair and sat down gently stroking a strand of curly brown hair away from her eyes.  
>"what happened to you?" he whispered quietly "why were you so scared?" Severus sunk into another chair groaning as he forced his knees to bend and take some of his weight "we'll only know when she wakes up Luc" the two men talked about random things that came to their mind, paper's that needed grading and potter who'd come to visit just days ago. The poor man was still distressed over Granger's disappearance 3 yrs ago and his supposed 'best friend' the ginger Ron Weasley couldn't care less. He was off fucking Lavender Brown for all he was worth.(which wasn't much in either man's opinion) they were up well into the wee hours of the morning till sleep captured them.<p>

Hermione cracked her eyes open as sunlight streamed through a long line of huge windows. She was lying on her back with a white blanket keeping her warm. There was a man with long black hair snoring in a chair a couple of feet away and a woman with long silver hair resting their head on the edge of her bed. Hermione carefully sat up letting out a big yawn, staring at her arm when the usual shock of pain didn't go up it like it usually did, instead there was a little throb that actually felt good, Hermione recognized it as the throb when newly healed breaks were tested and turned out nice and strong. She pushed away the bed-clothes and on all fours crawled down the long bed. Once she reached the woman Hermione sat up on her knees and used one small hand to gently push their head to the side, the person let out a loud snore causing a bubble of giggles to well up inside the little girl. She covered her mouth with a tiny hand in a futile effort to stop any sound. Extending a hand again to gently poke the persons head again, they let out another snore smacked their lips and said sleepily "I swear Sev if you do that one m're time I'm gonna Crucio you". Hermione immediately pulled back scrambling wide eyed until her back was against the iron bars as the person raised their head and a shape stood in the corner of her eye. Hermione had no Idea what a Crucio was but it sounded painful. Hermione looked up as the man with long black hair and a crooked nose stood beside her bed, his arms folded to create a terrifying picture. Hermione whimpered as she shrunk against the iron bars, praying that they wouldn't make her 'all full up' like the others did where they were drunk.

"Hermione Granger?"

*****{}*****

Severus blinked as he heard a loud yawn, looking around he watched the little girl shift, gingerly pulling herself into a sitting position. There was a looked of confusion adorning her small freckled face as she stared at her newly healed wrist, a couple of seconds later she looked up a small smile gracing her features. He watched as she crawled on all fours, kneeling beside Lucius' head which was rested on his arms which were rested on the white sheeted bed. Severus smiled as she gently reached out a hand and pushed his blonde partners head. Said partner merely snored a little bit louder then settled again. The little girl hunched her shoulders as she put a tiny hand over her mouth trying to keep a well of giggles from waking him up. He watched amused as the little girl again moved to push his head but scramble back a terrified look on her face when Lucius grumbled obliviously. Severus stood and his arms moved to their usual position, crossed over his chest as he saw fear and disbelief parade across her face. The girl looked up at him fearfully and Severus' eyes widened considerably as he took in the little girls pale skin and smattering of freckles, her bushy hair and doe brown eyes. Good Merlin he was staring at the 5 yr old version of the missing…..

"Hermione Granger?"

_**And that is where I will leave it until I figure out how to continue, and because I like annoying people especially 101emilyrox XD (this font is slanting the opposite way to the way I normally slant…..hmmm curious….) anyway I'll update soon….hopefully.**_

_**Bono Tempest**_


	2. Crisp Autumn morning

**_Hey guys I'm back, sorry it took so long to update. Hi Amelia and 101emilyrox(though we know she doesn't[I.L.Y Em) and grandma and uncle Mark. Soz readers just a shout-out to family and friends. I just watched the last Harry Potter movie and I have to say it was a tiny bit of a let-down, didn't go out with quite the bang I expected it to. Oh well, enjoy!_**

20 months prior to present time.

Hermione strolled down the alleyway, separating her house from the next. The autumn had colored all the trees in burnished browns and gold's, giving the air a wintery chill. Tucking her hands into her cream parka Hermione turned scuffing her boots slightly as she just enjoyed the day. It was very rare that she got time like this, to just relish in the simple delights of her favourite season. Usually she was helping Harry or Ron, two aspiring Aurors who still needed help with their homework. The brunette smiled at the thought as she turned the corner, a smile that was rapidly wiped off her face as she crashed into someone, knocking them both to the ground.

"Oh my….. I'm so sorry, here let me help…" she fumbled, scrambling to her feet to offer the man a hand.

"no, no my dear that won't be necessary" he chuckled brushing his hands against his brown pants "your actually the person I was looking for"

Hermione tilted her head in confusion

"really, well how can I help you?" Hermione smiled hand drifting closer to the pocket that held her wand, so far in her experience only bad things came when anybody said that combination of words to her.

"just stay still a moment.." that man started as he lunged.

A shadow moved out of the corner of her eye and Hermione whipped around drawing her wand only to have the man in brown pants clasp his arms around her torso, pinning her arms to her side and effectively catching her defenceless. Hermione's wand clattered to the ground and she screamed before having a large long-fingered hand clamped over her open maw, the powder previously resting in the palm forced into her mouth. The hands released her as Hermione doubled over coughing repeatedly, desperately pawing at her throat as the powder got to work, the corrosive nature activating with her saliva. Strong arms surrounded Hermione as she tried to scream through a raw throat only serving to cause her to cough more. Bringing a hand up automatically to shield her mouth from view Hermione slumped into the body that was cradling her, unaware that she'd been moved back several yards, into the semi-privacy of the side-alley. Moving her hand back into view Hermione squinted at the blotches swimming through her ever worsening vision. She remembered something to do with red….it wasn't good, was it?... she was just too tired to remember, something to do with powder….. and brown. With that last incoherent thought Hermione's head lolled back, a sleepy frown etched in fine lines onto her young forehead.

"The little sweetheart needs healing Andy" a man with a bald patch said.

"That she does Mike" the two well-built men smirked.

"And when she's healed she'll need time to recover….." the man in brown trousers drawled lifting the thin young-woman into his arms and starting off down the lane, opposite the direction Hermione had originally been going.

"….but what about a job Andy, and cost" the slightly shorter and skinnier man mock questioned, a half smile on his face.

The brown trousers man paused and looked back at his partner in crime and smiled, a smile to make babe's cry and children huddle in tight groups, whispering and watching from a distance. "well we'll just have to find some work for her to do to pay for board, while she's _healing_, won't we" the two men laughed and Mike turned waving his wand in a simple gesture. A simple gesture with very complex words, grinning as every speck of evidence that Hermione Granger existed was wiped from the neighbourhood and home.

**_Yes Yes! Now I realise it isn't that long but I need to keep you guys from biting my head off, while I develop an actual plot here, so bear with me. Please_:})**

**_Also anyone who would care to guess at what's going to happen further along in this tale, will get my undying gratitude…..okay almost undying gratitude._**


	3. Ticking backwards

_**Okay let's get this show on the road. Or as my dad would say 'let's cook this burger'… strange I know.**_

Severus slowly lowered himself to kneel next to Granger's bed, taking in her quaking form and fearful gaze. She had pushed her-self up against the iron bars of the hospital bed, drawing painfully thin legs up close to her chest and gripping tiny fingers around the white bars.

"Miss Granger?" he questioned gently.

He watched as she frowned slightly, looking as if she was going to say something before firmly clamping her mouth shut. Acting on some half-gone, long-buried instinct he reached out a hand palm-up, mentally sighing when she recoiled violently, succeeding in almost falling off the bed. The movement, in turn, woke Lucius who yawned and stretched oblivious to the bushy haired little girl, who was looking at him like he would bite her head off any second.

"G'mornin', Sev" he said sleepily swinging his head round to look at Granger, jumping when he found her awake and afraid. A soft smile broke out on his face as he lowered himself into the same position as Severus. Then he started talking in gentle tones.

"Well hello there, little one, you gave us quite a scare you did!" Granger only stared at him, eyes darting to his hands which were hidden from view. Seeing her stare her moved them up chuckling softly. "I don't know what you might be searching for but here….." he stretched out his hands towards her "They're up for inspection," she jumped and looked fearfully at his hands, her wide, innocent eyes darting back up to him, scrutinizing his face.

The blonde turned to his lover and raised a questioning eyebrow, motioning with a slight nod of his head to the private room at the back of the infirmary.

When both men were in the room and the door was closed Severus started pacing, drawing an exasperated sigh from Lucius. "What is it this time, Sev?" he asked in a bored tone used to the ex-spy's paranoid nature. The potions professor stopped and turned to his lover.

"Lucius, do you realize who is sitting out there in that hospital bed." ?" At the shrug Severus rolled his eyes annoyed, Lucius may be his most favourite person in the world, but he could be a bit thick on occasion. "Lucius…that little girl out there is _Hermione Granger_!" he hissed running a hand through his lanky black hair.

Severus would have laughed at the sight of Malfoy senior — , temporarily rendered speechless — , if the situation wasn't so alarming.

"Wha…bu…_how_?" he stuttered, slowly regaining his composure.

"_That_ is the million dollar question, gorgeous," he replied glancing at the door.

There was silence as the two men gathered their thoughts regarding the little girl currently resting the hospital wing.

_BAM!_

They rushed out the door together to find the bed that up until then had been housing Miss Granger, empty and a group of mixed house students rushing in with two stretchers. "HELP PROFESSOR'S!" a second-year Gryffindor girl shrieked. The group deposited the two stretchers on beds next to each other and moved back hurriedly at the two men's ushering. Both stopped dead when they caught there first sight of the cause of the up-roar. Both young men were covered in blood and mud, deep gashes adorning the first man's arms and face. His blood almost dyed the emerald Slytherin tie a Gryffindor-esque scarlet, but a hint of emerald green shone through on his undercoat. He was laying incredibly still, only the occasional twitch of his body indicating his living state.

"Draco!" Lucius flew forward, sobs erupting from his throat as he drew his sons unconscious body into a desperate embrace.

"SOMEONE HELP!" he screamed distraught, long blonde hair falling haphazardly over his shoulders as all his Medi-wizard training flying out the window.

The desperate tone in his lover's voice galvanised Severus into action. Immediately he sent student's running for the headmistress and Madame Pomfrey ,a seventh year going through the floo to St Mungo's and the rest were banished into the hall. Severus cast a glance at the second boy and stifled a panicked gasp, Potter was lying much like Draco, blood still lazily seeping from his numerous wounds.

Madame Pomfrey ran through the floo pushing the unconscious form of Draco Malfoy before her on a stretcher, the healers of St Mungo's were already there waiting to receive the two critical patients. Snape rushed out behind the medi-witch pushing Potter and the two were immediately whisked away into intensive care.

The raven haired potions master watched anxiously as they disappeared before nodding once to Madame Pomfrey and rushing back through the floo. What he came back to was mayhem. Lucius had gone ever so slightly mad with the grief of seeing his son so beat-up and injured and so, was now rampaging through the hospital throwing up blankets and lifting the ends of beds to peer underneath them. When the floo roared to life the blonde man turned and with a half-crazed look in his eye sprinted over grasping his lovers shoulders in his spindly fingers and shaking him.

"Severus, I can't find her…..where is she?...only for a second…then Draco and and, and Potter" by this point he was sobbing the grasp on Severus's shoulders becoming weak as a child's as he cried.

Concerned and slightly perplexed Severus tilted Lucius' head and looked him in the eye "Who is 'she' Lucius? Why can't you find her?"

As if snapping out of a trance Lucius was all business again. "Granger, Severus, that's who I can't find". All at once Severus felt the sudden urge to slap himself on the forehead. Of course, they didn't know what sort of mental condition she was in and the noise of the horde of children had surely scared her. Lucius rampaging around the infirmary like a mad-man probably definitely hadn't helped matters.

He ducked ungracefully to look under the beds and finding nothing but dust-bunnies retreated to face the mid-morning light. He completely ignored the agitated blonde as he paced around the infirmary. _Where would I hide if I was a tiny child with a probably unstable mental condition and a madman running about?_ Taking into account that Miss Granger was smarter than most children he pondered the more thought out hiding spots. Well the main doors were open so…

"Damn," Lucius looked at him expectantly wringing his pale blue robes between his fingers

Severus gently pulled open the closet door and was rewarded by the sight of a cowering Hermione Granger, tears making wide tracks down her flushed cheeks. Beside him he could see Lucius straining against his re-instated instincts as a medi-wizard in training to go and check the child for signs of a fever. Moving slowly, he crouched down and inched forward. "Hey there, sweetheart, what are you doing in here?" he asked gently. Hermione didn't answer, preferring instead to duck her head and curl into and even tighter ball. His heart constricted, where had the spit-fire Gryffindor gone?

**Yes Finally! For some un-explicable reason it's taken me ages to finish this chapter, and it's not helped by the fact that my beta has been away at camp for the entire bloody week! **_***looks pointedly at said Beta with raised eyebrows* **_(Zip it, Bono, or I'll stop helping :P. ~ 101EmilyRox a.k.a Bono's Beta)


	4. Don't shoot the messenger!

A/U

Okay Guys and Girls. I am so sorry and disappointed in myself at the moment. I was planning for my first fic to be awesome and finished by now, but the plot bunny who was in charge of this fic had gone missing or been kidnapped. If you find him please return him ASAP.

Me: STEVE! Steve, where are you? I need to write the next chap for my 13 reviewers!

Unfortunately he is still MIA and there is little hope of him returning.

If anyone has any idea that they may want to share please do. I would greatly appreciate any information on the whereabouts of Steve.

Your loving failure of an FFnet-er


	5. If I am one thing, what are you?

leo  
>26/12 . chapter 4

Stop writing. Your stories are crap, if you don't have a story finished or at least well in hand don't post it. It is rude and inconsiderate to your readers. Your profile is twice as long as anything you have written and it is useless tripe. So do yourself a favour and grow up. And perhaps finish high school.

Now, I know that there are many flames around . But I felt the need to address one.

NO readers. I'm sorry but Steve is still MIA. The reason I am posting this authors message is to reply to a review that I believe was unnecessarily rude and unkind.

I believe we all know that in general a critique on is something that is meant to help and encourage/warn-off the writer. In short it's basically like a red pen. It helps the writer recognize their mistakes and what readers don't like about their stories.

What my good friend Leo has just written is absolutely useless and offensive.

Leo, how do you know I'm not someone suffering or recovering from severe depression, or bullying. Your 'review' could be the thing that pushes me over the edge and causes me to take my own life thinking everyone hates me. Imagine how distraught my family and friends will be when they find my cold body swinging from the thick support beam in our lounge. It will probably permanently scar my little brothers.

Well lucky for you Leo, and my readers. I'm not suicidal or severely depressed. I have a great best friend who acts as my rock when I'm down. Though for all you know I could've been. Do you really want to live with the knowledge that your unnecessary venom in-avertedly caused someone's death?

The second thing is; I know there are writers who have put their story/ies on the list of the 'Abandoned' or 'Permanently Hiatus-ed'

Why pick on me when I do plan to update? In-case you haven't read my entertaining chapter before, I have lost my muse while working on other unpublished works, as well as all the work and study that comes with being in 2 extra-curricular clubs and 4-top classes at school. I'm not bragging, simply stating the situation as it is. I have a lot of stuff on my plate this year and am juggling a lot of different things, if you can't accept that I have simply run dry in the 'Regression' ideas department. Then **1# **please don't try reviewing **2# **if you want to write a successful review, put something useful and less obnoxious in it and **3# **be patient!

No my profile is not twice as long as anything I have written, except for the one shot I posted. My profile is exactly that, MINE. Mine to decorate and fill with whatever I see fit. The things in my profile are all things that I either feel strongly about or find amusing. It's not your place to judge me on my like and dislikes. And if you think it is, at least create a profile so I can make sure a reply like this reaches you. It just annoys both readers and writers when you hide behind anonymity. And, frankly, it's just plain cowardly.

I'm also not sure about your statement "it's rude and inconsiderate to your readers". What do you think you're being right now! Terribly blunt and kind?

I myself often get mad at people who hiatus. But I understand why they do it and am happy to wait. Because as you can see now, we are in the same position.

The whole point of is to learn, about writing and your own style. To make mistakes and have someone teach you how to correct them or avoid repeating it. To have someone tell you you're faults nicely and point out the things that went wrong. Do you understand?

I also think that you're the one being childish at the moment. I believe we left petty insults in the sandbox. Take your own advice before you preach it. And I'm also quite happy in high school. I have many open doors in-front of me and wonderful friends to try them out with me, so no thanks I think I'll stay and learn.

My final point in this, probably overly long reply.

Get an account.

I'll be more inclined to take your review seriously and not brush it off as the work of an amateur if you have proof that you've actually had experience. That and I think it's extremely cowardly that you won't let me, or anyone else reply to your flame. So go away, get an account, write up something yourself and we'll see what the majority thinks. You may find it's not as easy as you may have presumed, once you give it a go.

Sincerely

And for all the people who have helped me or reviewed thanks a heap :)

P.S. Just think. Because of your review Leo, this is another non-story A/N. It could easily have been the next chapter. Just sayin'.


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